BLM project looks to stem toxic water flow from Rogue River mine

Mining clean-up chronically underfunded across U.S.

A quarter-million dollar project is underway on the Lower Rogue river to stem the flow of toxic water from a 100-year-old gold and copper mine.

For almost as long as the Almeda Mine has been there, a weak naturally-occurring sulfuric acid solution has been seeping out of the old tunnel. Currently, beach's crew treat the effluent with lime to neutralize the acid, which occurs naturally when air and water react to the minerals in the rock.

The BLM is trying to stem the flow of water and maybe send it somewhere else where it won't affect those rafting and fishing on that section of the river.

The project is funded with federal stimulus money through the Bureau of Land Management.

Engineers hope to learn how they can plug the old tunnel to stop the seepage. That will be a future project funded from BLM money.